Ian Bell turns to coach who wrote article on his ‘batting mistakes’

Out of form: Bell has a top score of 29 and an average of 6.9 from his last eight Test innings Getty

Ian Bell has consulted the coach credited with Alastair Cook’s revival as he tries to regain top form in time for the Ashes.

Bell has a top score of 29 and an average of 6.9 from his last eight Test innings, worrying numbers with just three weeks to go before the first Ashes Test starts in Cardiff. In the 2013 series in this country, Bell’s three centuries pushed England to a 3-0 win.

Bell has been working with Graham Gooch — England’s former batting coach — since the Headingley Test two weeks ago but it is understood he has had at least one session with Gary Palmer, a freelance coach name-checked by Cook last month when discussing his improved run-scoring this year.

Now it is thought Bell, England’s other senior batsman, has worked with Palmer. It is believed Palmer contacted ECB coaches about helping Bell and has contributed to at least one net session with the batsman.

Palmer is the son of Ken Palmer, the former Test umpire, and played for Somerset as an all-rounder in the 1980s. His Cricket Coach Master academy website says he worked with Australia in 2001 and India a year later, and offers “new innovative cricket coaching techniques and practice drills” for batting, fast bowling and fielding. He has also studied Bell before, publishing an article entitled “Do you make Ian Bell’s batting mistakes?” The paper argues that Bell’s stance and alignment make him vulnerable against left-arm pace bowlers, of which Australia have two — Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson.

Bell was left out of England’s one-day squad for the series against New Zealand, allowing him to play for Warwickshire. He scored his 50th first-class century this week to help his county defeat Worcestershire.

Even though Gooch was sacked as England batting coach a little more than a year ago, Bell has continued to use him. The 33-year-old told the BBC: “There has been a chance to work with a few people away from the England set-up, refresh and be mentally and physically ready.

“I tap into Graham Gooch a lot and did a couple of sessions with him. It was about working on footwork, getting forward and back. Against New Zealand I got stuck at the crease and when you’re a little bit indecisive, that’s what you do.

“Hopefully with a bit more positive footwork I will start to play better.

“If you don’t score runs then people will ask questions so it was nice to step back and have a bit of a look at my game.”